Heather knight ceramics biography definition
Heather Knight
About Us
Heather Knight is an internationally renowned ceramic artist who has garnered attention from the worldwide art and design community since she opened Element in 2007. She works almost exclusively with porcelain and her work is widely recognized for its striking combination of modern esthetic with textures, patterns and shapes inspired by nature. Knight received her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2006. After serving as a resident artist and instructor at Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts in Asheville, she held a teaching position at the Greenville County Museum of Art in South Carolina. Knight opened the doors to her studio, Element, in 2007 in Asheville, North Carolina, and has focused on her art full-time ever since, elevating her body of work into an internationally sought after brand. Her art has been exhibited nationwide, as well as in France, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Dubai. Knight and her art have been featured on The Nate Berkus Show, as well as in many publications including Interior Design Magazine, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Portland Spaces, Charleston Home, American Craft and Bon Appetit. In spite of the rapid growth of her business, Knight has stayed true to the handmade nature of her art and considers it an integral part of her process. She uses zero means of mass production, creating each piece from conception completely by hand. An active member of its vibrant and eclectic artist community, Knight has called Asheville, North Carolina, home for nearly 15 years. Her Husband Mike joined the studio business in September 2012, and their son, Caleb is now also a regular fixture. Her studio and showroom, Element Ceramics, is located on Depot St. in Asheville's River Arts District.
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This week in our ongoing Meet the Maker series, we’re getting to know Heather Knight, the ceramic artist behind the beautiful ceramics studio Element Clay Studio.
LBC: What inspired you to take the leap as an entrepreneur?
Heather: I was teaching, but in between semesters, and quit my part time restaurant job. A friend introduced me to Etsy and the rest is history!
LBC: How would you describe what you create?
Heather: Design Forward Sculptural Ceramics.
LBC: When you first got started, how did you envision your business would be defined?
Heather: I didn’t really have a grand vision at the beginning. Etsy was fairly new and I had just started a group ceramics studio that was supplementing my income. In the beginning it was just a “try it and see” kind of approach, the only thing I really had in place was my determination and professional images.
LBC: Where can we find your products?
Heather: Etsy, my studio, and about 40 retailers worldwide.
LBC: Walk us through a typical work day.
Heather: I briefly check emails in the morning, (Tuesday and Thursday mornings I have 2-4 hours of concentrated office time) and then head to the studio. I roll bowls and get organized for the day in the mornings, and then by the time we open, I am ready to sit down and concentrate on the more repetitive work. We have family lunch together every day and I take a break with the baby afterwards to break up the day. Towards the end of the day, I glaze and load kilns, since it gets me up on my feet and helps me wake up a little.
During the busiest times, leading up to Holidays, I am usually at work between 10-13 hours, 6 days a week. My normal schedule is 10 hours 5 days per week.
LBC: What are the some things makers should think through when they initially decide to start a business? A few years back I was at a casual dinner at a friend's house, and she told me that "a cool pottery chick from Asheville" was coming to join us. When Heather Knight arrived, I liked her immediately. I asked her if she had an Etsy store, and she showed me her work on an iPhone. Blown away by the tiniest of thumbnails, I made a beeline for her studio the next day, and my addiction to her beautiful work has continued ever since. It's been a thrill to watch her career take off, including press from features on Etsy to an appearance on The Nate Berkus Show. Knight in a sea of her ceramic anemone bowls. Knight's inspiration boards are some of the best I've ever seen. "My inspiration comes from a combination interior design, fashion, nature, architecture, art history and my imagination," she says. "If I get stuck I do many things — go looking for inspiration at antique stores, at the nursery, at the hardware store," she says. "I go on a hike or pick through my inspiration bowls. I have bowls all over the studio filled with objects I pick up: shells, pods, leaves. Other objects that inspire her, like milkweed, are tucked around her studio too. .
Heather: Realistic evaluation of your personal work ethic, your goals for the business, and your financial expectat Interview: Heather Knight of Element Clay Studio
Here's a peek at what inspires her, her work, and the unique way she has set up her studio and new showroom, Element Clay Studio.
Knight's passion for pottery began at age 14. The first piece she fired up in a kiln was coil pot. "It was love at first pot!" she exclaims. She's come a long way since then, working as an artist full time. (Let's be honest: It takes many more hours than a usual full-time week to run your own creative business.)
This is a set of Element Clay Studio's micro tiles, some of her most popular pieces. Hung on a wall, placed on a table or set up in a grid, these textured pieces pack a unique design punch.
Here is one of Knight's inspiration bowls. She made the actual bowl, of course!